1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a device for distributing successive products of a product flow, particularly the folding products formed by a cross cutter by dividing a material web, to two branch flows.
2. Description of the Related Art
In known arrangements of the type mentioned above, splitting devices include a swivelable tongue, which alternately feeds the successive products to one branch flow or the other. The tongue is a stationary structural component part in relation to the moving products. Therefore, owing to the relative movements between the products and the tongue, marks may be produced on the products and, when processing printed products, ink smears and the like may occur. Therefore, the known arrangements have not proved sufficiently production-friendly.
EP 0054963 A1 shows a splitting arrangement with wedges that are arranged in a stationary manner in the transporting plane of the product flow and which are arranged adjacent to one another transverse to the transporting direction. Together with two belts which are guided through the splitting arrangement, the wedges form a path fork which is symmetric to the transporting plane and opens downward. Adjoining the wedges below the path fork on the inner side are transporting belts which define the two paths leading out of the fork. Two cam rollers which flank the wedge and which have cams and recesses in an area between the wedges are associated with the two side faces of the wedge. Each cam on one cam roller has associated with it an area on the other cam roller serving as a holding surface at which no cams are provided and over which the transporting belt is guided. Accordingly, the transporting belts run laterally next to the cams through the splitting device. Therefore, the products passing through the splitting device cannot be supported or deflected by the cams in these areas of the respective belts.